Cost of living in Cortez, Colorado

Cortez, Colorado has about 8,976 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $272,900.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Montezuma County is $1,280 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Cortez. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

Colorado's prices sit at 103.1 when the U.S. average is 100. This place is not in a metro area with its own index, so this is the state number from BEA for 2024.

Colorado taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 7.9% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Cortez's exact store tax.

In July 2026, a typical Colorado home paid 17.00¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Cortez's bill.

In 2025, all-grades gas in Colorado averaged $3.01 a gallon. EIA prints this yearly price for only some states.

Among 201 places we list in Colorado with a rent figure, 178 have higher typical rent than Cortez.